Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Lumsden snags two more Canadian Football League player of the week awards

Jesse Lumsden was named the CFL's offensive and Canadian player of the week Wednesday, marking the second time this season the Hamilton Tiger-Cats running back has won both awards.Lumsden rushed for 211 yards and two long touchdowns on 12 carries to lead the Tiger-Cats to their first victory of the season, a 43-22 triumph over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers last Friday in Hamilton.He also caught two passes for 16 yards.Lumsden, who was celebrating his 25th birthday, scored his first touchdown with a 69-yard run on Hamilton's first play from scrimmage, and got his second on a 75-yard scamper with just over five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to all but seal the win for the Ticats (1-5-0).The 24,201 fans at Ivor Wynne Stadium celebrated the local boy's birthday - he's from neighbouring Burlington - by chanting "Jesse, Jesse" and then singing a round of Happy Birthday to him."This is the best thing I could have ever asked for," Lumsden said. "We didn't let negative things get us down."We climbed back. We finished everything. We did everything we needed to do to win."The product of Hamilton's McMaster University now leads the CFL in rushing with 554 yards, which he has racked up on just 59 carries - good for a gaudy 9.4-yard average.Alouettes corner back Randee Drew was named the league's defensive player of the week.Drew had two of the four interceptions recorded by the Montreal defence in a 29-27 overtime victory against the Toronto Argonauts. Drew also recorded three tackles, including two sacks for 13 yards.Toronto's Dominique Dorsey won the special team player award after returning a missed field goal 129 yards for a touchdown in his Argos debut, tying a club record set by Bashir Levingston.Dorsey finished the game with four punt returns for 40 yards and three kickoff returns for 95 yards.